The present invention relates to vehicle torque transmitting clutches of the direct pressure type where a release bearing is utilized to operate the clutch release levers or spring fingers and disengage the driven clutch plate from the driving flywheel and pressure plate. Over a long period of use, the clutch disc facings or linings exhibit wear and the clutch spring or springs causes the pressure plate to move closer to the flywheel to fully engage the clutch.
Where an initially adjusted amount of clearance normally exists between the release bearing and the clutch release levers or spring fingers, the wear of the clutch disc facings forces the levers or spring fingers into direct pressure engagement with the release bearing and binds the bearing against the release fork causing the clutch slippage. To alleviate this problem, the operator of the vehicle must have the clutch serviced when clutch slippage due to wear becomes pronounced. Such manual adjustment consists of altering the angle of the clutch release fork to reposition the release carrier and bearing until the normal clearance between the bearing and clutch release levers or spring fingers is restored. It is a well known fact that a large percentage of clutch failures in various types of vehicles is due to operator neglect of maintaining free play in the clutch which represents the clearance between the clutch fingers and the bearing.
To overcome this problem, various methods of automatic adjustment of the clutch release carrier were attempted; however, in most instances, the bearing on the release carrier was maintained in contact with the clutch release levers or spring fingers resulting in undesirable wear and/or noise caused by the constant engagement. The present invention overcomes the problems of previous automatic adjustment devices in providing a self-contained automatic wear adjuster having a predetermined clearance between the release bearing and the release levers or fingers.